The Author

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Linda Dooks was born and raised in a farming community in North Yorkshire a proud county of the UK. As child she would often doodle stories in a notebook, a notebook she hid from her parents who thought writing when other chores needed to be attended to, a waste of time, they often wondered why Linda dilly-dallied when taking the dog for a walk, the walk was brief but a necessary activity to get some doodling done. A trip to the local library on a Saturday was very often the hi-light of Linda’s week. The librarian there would keep all of Linda’s short stories she had written in a box under the counter, so that she could revisit them, plus allow her to read some of her favourite authors, Agatha Christie and Arthur Conon Doyle. 

Having left school to earn a living and learning that her librarian had died, Linda forgot about the box under the counter and often thinks what happened to it, but she didn’t forget about her desire to write, and picked that up again after the birth of her children. Linda joined a writing class in Hemsley, North Yorkshire, and with renewed encouragement wrote her children’s stories based on the North York Moors Railway adventures, maybe one day she will publish them. Let’s hope so.

Now retired from the local council and having more time to focus on the one thing she has loved throughout her life, Linda has written this debut novel, with the full support of her husband Peter and children Emma and Richard, plus a few other friends from nearby writing fraternities. So, let’s turn our attention to the book.

Check out our video chat here!

Book Two

Land of Opportunity Book Two

This is Linda’s latest book in the series

This is a smaller book than her first novel in the series but that’s not to say it’s any less lacking in substance, quite the contrary in fact. The story is a continuation from where the first book left off, so to get the bigger picture as to the characters and the narrative you need to read the books in sequence otherwise this new book of Linda’s isn’t going to be so meaningful to you. Like her first book it’s an easy read and again the scenes are very much reminiscent to the period leading up to WW1. 

It has been ten years since Rose Watson the main character left England, searching for a new life on the streets of New York with Agnes a companion she met on board the ship that took her away from a harrowing life back home. Her life has changed considerably, and adapting to a new set of circumstances proved to be more challenging than she anticipated. You need to be tough to survive the everyday occurrences of New York, street gangs and gang warfare are prominent round every corner.

Rose’s work at the Charity Board Society continues to shock and astound her as more and more immigrants arrive in New York via Ellis Island in search of a new life, a life free of penury and degradation. What shocks her the most is children arriving on their own abandoned by their families for all sorts of unfathomable reasons especially girls. Now married to Thomas Blackwood a wealthy successful businessman Rose has her own family and what she has learnt over the years she puts to good use to support and guide the upcoming next generation of young hopefuls that she sees around her trying to make a more prosperous life for themselves. But these are uncertain times as WW1 looms. So, what does lie ahead for Rose and all the characters that are in this second book. Well! You’ll have to read the books starting with the first book. 

Again, you’ll find the research Linda has undertaken to ensure the storyline is authentic and true to the period of that time is exemplary. The book like the first has many twists and turns, romance, murder, high society and gang warfare it’s all there wrapped up in forty- four exhilarating chapters. 

Book One

Land of Opportunity

Sixty-five stunning but brief chapters are wrapped up in this book to bring you a scintillating story about the character Rose Watson a sixteen-year-old girl born in North Yorkshire in the UK in 1897. Her early years were profoundly impacted upon by the death of her mother, which left her in an uncompromising family situation with an uncaring father and a precarious unwanted situation with regards to her brother whose advances towards her probably bordered on incestuous had she allowed matters to unfold. Growing up in a male dominated farming community with little sympathy Rose needed to escape her world of drudgery and unpalatable attention, a new world called with new prospects but equally a world adorned with new dangers.

Rose emigrates to America, New York to be precise, the boat journey across the Atlantic from Liverpool to Ellis Island New York was long and arduous. Agnes a budding singer who she meets lures her into New York’s dubious and dangerous underworld. Rose quickly learns that the tough streets of New York are not paved in gold. Rose’s one saving grace is that of Thomas Blackwood an American who she met while travelling to America. Does romance come her way or does another cruel lesson of life lurk around the corner. Hmm…I know what happens, but if you want to find out, then this historical fiction book which has been carefully researched to bring a sense of authenticity to it, is waiting for you to flick through its pages. So, flick through them.

The narrative is very well written, it’s an easy read, but a read packed with the reality of those times and what life was like then for a young girl braving a new adventure.

To learn more about Linda and her book head to her webpage www.lindadooks.com

Social Media Sites

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556560133968
https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-dooks-6851a41a3

Award

International Impact Book Awards: Winner

Publisher

Blossom Springs Publishing. www.blossomspringpublishing.com / search bookstore/historical/ Linda Dooks

Podcast Info 

This podcast is available to listen to on all major podcast platforms search Talking Books hosted by J T Crowley. The video is available on YouTube search Talking Books hosted by J T Crowley, and now on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick streaming devices. Download the Experts and Authors app on your Roku or Amazon Firestick device or visit: www.Expertsandauthors.tv online and click TALKING BOOKS.

Thank you, Linda, for giving me the wonderful opportunity to chat to you about yourself and your books. I loved your zany character it made me laugh while we were putting this podcast together for the second time.

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